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The Importance Of Natural Disasters In Nepal

1184 Words5 Pages

The increasing number of natural disasters is adding the amount of vulnerable population worldwide, especially in developing countries. The factors that are placing developing countries in more vulnerable position are a lack of good governance, weak disaster risk reduction strategies by governments, economic weakness, poor infrastructure, complex and remote geography, local hazards and overlooking the existing social capital. Most of the developing countries are ranked very low in terms of their national coping capacity level (Global coping capacity index, 2014).

Nepal’s geographic situation impairs socio-economical vulnerability and disparity. In lack of a basic physical infrastructure, people remain isolated from basic social services and …show more content…

The Asian Development Bank (ADB, 2014) report shows that the average annual economic loss of Nepal is 1.8 % of aggregate GDP (Gross Domestic Product). The report also predicts that by the end of 21st century loss of annual GDP can be up to 10 % and there will be more casualties because of natural disasters. In April 2015, the earthquake disaster cost nearly 34 % of annual Nepal’s GDP. The poor and lower income households were mostly affected. Their incomes and private capital was declined or they lost it completely. This impact is pushing households towards risk. Shakya states that risk is one of the main factors that increase the poverty (Shakya, 2009, p. 64). Recurring disasters can result in an unbearable poverty trap when household assets and livelihoods are destroyed or …show more content…

Therefore, social capital can be seen as a lifesaving component in rural and isolated villages. Aldrich argued that the main engine of successful response and recovery is social capital (Aldrich,2010, p.1). Defined briefly social capital as networks, trust and relationships that ties people together and enable to act collectively (Putnam,2000,p.19, Aldrich,2010, p.1, Agder,2003, p.387 and Woodcock and Narayan, 2000, p.226 ). Individual, households or community networks and trust providing access to numerous resources in emergencies situations (Aldrich,2010, p.1 and Agder,2003, p.387). Similarly informal and formal social bonds helps to organize collective action and facilitates information among individuals or households and they search to solve problems (Aldrich,2010, p.2 and Cohen and prusk, 2001,p. 19). These ties and actions observed after the Kobe, Japan and Gujarat India earthquake and other disasters, households with strong social capital pro-actively participated in collective activities, shared resources, supported each other and facilitated on mutual decisions making in recovery process thus community made a faster, inexpensive and successful recovery (Nakagawa and Shaw, 2004. p.1 and Aldrich, 2012, p.4). Importantly social capital can be a lifesaving component during rescue phase and successful response in relief phase as well as

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